Standard Conditions Research Articles

Digital light processing 3D printing of polymerizable ionic liquids towards carbon capture applications

This study presents new 3D printable materials based on ad-hoc synthesized photocurable imidazolium ionic liquids (ILs) with bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (NTf2)− as counterion and two different alkyl chain's structures at the cation, with enhanced CO2 capture properties. The molecular structure of the synthesized ILs was confirmed through NMR technique and a polymerization study was carried out, by means of photorheological tests and FT-IR analyses, on formulations containing a crosslinking monomer (PEGDA). The study confirmed the good reactivity of the formulations that makes them suitable for digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing technique. Simple membranes were then tested through high pressure CO2 uptake analysis to estimate their capture efficiency, comparing the results with the standard room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) counterpart, and evidencing an increase of CO2 absorption regardless the pressure applied. At last, complex gyroid-like structures incorporating the synthesized ILs were successfully 3D printed, showing the remarkable ability of these materials to be processed with 3D printing technology while maintaining the great CO2 capture performances of ionic liquids. This preliminary work paves the way for the implementation of “ad-hoc” designs to create filters or devices to enhance the CO2 capture.

Absence of the Peptide Transporter 1 Induces a Prediabetic and Depressive-Like Phenotype in Mice.

Protein-enriched diets improve glycemic control in diabetes or emotional behavior in depressive patients. In mice, these benefits depend on intestinal gluconeogenesis activation by di-/tripeptides. Intestinal di-/tripeptides absorption is carried out by the peptide transporter 1, PEPT1. The lack of PEPT1 might thus alter glucose and emotional balance. To determine the effects of PEPT1 deficiency under standard dietary conditions or during a dietary challenge known to promote both metabolic and cognitive dysfunction, insulin sensitivity, anxiety, and depressive-like traits, hippocampal serotonin (5-HT) and insulin signaling pathway were measured in wild-type (WT) and Pept1-/- mice fed either a chow or a high-fat high-sucrose (HF-HS) diet. Pept1-/- mice exhibited slight defects in insulin sensitivity and emotional behavior, which were aggravated by an HF-HS diet. Pept1-/- mice fed a chow diet had lower hippocampal 5-HT levels and exhibited cerebral insulin resistance under HF-HS diet. These defects were independent of intestinal gluconeogenesis but might be linked to increased plasma amino acids levels. Pept1-/- mice develop prediabetic and depressive-like traits and could thus be used to develop strategies to prevent or cure both diseases.

Assessment of photovoltaic I–V curve translation methods in real-world situations

The evaluation of performance of a photovoltaic array is effectively conducted through the analysis of its I–V curves. However, conducting these measurements under real-world field conditions introduces certain shortcomings in subsequent analysis and modeling. Therefore, it becomes imperative to translate the I–V curves from measured data points to conform to the standard test condition (STC). The approach presented in IEC 60891:2021 addresses this requirement. This study focuses on investigating the accuracy of the translation process using Procedure 4 from IEC 60891:2021 across a wide range of irradiance and temperature, and compares it with state-of-the-art alternatives (Hansen and metaheuristic methods). Experimental data and optimization methods were employed to assess errors and determine the optimal conditions utilizing a single-diode equivalent circuit, along with its parameters for temperature and irradiance correction. The results demonstrated that the metaheuristic method achieved the best results in terms of average RMSE, surpassing the IEC in all cases and the Hansen method in approx. 81% of outcomes. Moreover, the outcomes under real outdoor conditions significantly diverge from those observed in indoor measurements conducted using a flash solar simulator.

Industrial Approach to Invertase Production from Fruit Waste for Enhanced Efficiency and Conservation.

This study investigates the commercial viability of repurposing fruit waste for enzyme production, specifically focusing on the invertase enzyme derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. By utilizing fruit pulp that incorporates mulberry, carob, Figure, and grape pulp as a nutrient source, it is observed that the culture medium containing carob pulp exhibits the highest invertase activity. Specifically, the invertase activity in this medium is approximately 2.5 times greater (12.90 U/mg protein) than that observed in the peptone medium (5.98 U/mg protein). The extract undergoes several purification steps, including ultrafiltration, ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis, and ion-exchange chromatography (purification ratio: 12.11 times, yield: 26.93%). The purified enzyme is immobilized using alginate beads, improving pH and thermal stability. The immobilized enzyme exhibits optimal activity between pH 3.50 and pH 7.00, thereby broadening the enzyme's high-activity pH range. The thermal stability of the immobilized invertase enzyme is significantly improved, especially at 65 °C. Activity studies in the presence of metal ions and certain chemicals have been conducted. The immobilized enzyme's activity increases by approximately 40% in the presence of Ca2+ and Mg2+, and the immobilized enzyme maintains its activity in the presence of detergents such as SDS, Tween-20, and organic solvents like ethanol and methanol. The potential for the reuse of immobilized invertase was investigated under standard assay conditions. After 20 cycles, the immobilized enzyme was found to retain 80% of its initial activity. Overall, the study establishes the commercial potential of fruit pulp, typically discarded in fruit juice production, as a valuable source for obtaining an invertase enzyme. Furthermore, this study also aims to develop a suitable purification process for invertase in the fruit juice industry. By harnessing fruit waste and implementing innovative enzyme production strategies, industries can enhance their efficiency, reduce their environmental footprint, and optimize resource utilization.

Does time of intraoperative exposure to the aerobiome increase microbial growth on inflatable penile prostheses?

Inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) implantation is a surgical approach for the management of erectile dysfunction (ED). A feared complication is IPP infection, and increased operative time is a risk factor for infection. Exposure of an IPP implant to ambient air in the operating room (OR aerobiome) is thought to contribute to risk of infection from increased operative time, but this is not well-supported. The objective of this study was to evaluate if exposure to the OR aerobiome increased microbial colonization of IPPs. This was an ex vivo study using an uncoated IPP, observing standard surgical sterility and OR conditions. A sterile swab was collected every 30 min for 3 h from each IPP component. Positive controls consisted of swabs exposed to unprepped scrotal skin during in-office vasectomies. All swabs underwent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and next generation sequencing (NGS). Bioinformatic processing was carried out and taxonomic assignment was performed. No microbial growth was detected on any component of the IPPs at any time point, while positive control swabs all detected various skin flora, including bacterial and fungal growth. These findings suggest that exposure to the OR aerobiome does not increase the risk of IPP microbial colonization, at least within a 3-hour period. Further in vivo studies are needed.

Polyparameter Linear Free Energy Relationships for Partitioning of Neutral Organic Compounds to Storage Lipids.

Storage lipids are an important compartment in the bioaccumulation of neutral organic compounds. Reliable models for predicting storage lipid-water and storage lipid-air partition coefficients (Kislip/w and Kislip/a), as well as their temperature dependence, are considered useful. Polyparameter linear free energy relationships (PP-LFERs) are accurate, general, and mechanistically clear models for predicting partitioning-related physicochemical quantities. About a decade ago, PP-LFERs were calibrated for Kislip/w at the physiological temperature of 37 °C. However, to date, a comprehensive collection and sufficiently reliable PP-LFERs for Kislip/w and Kislip/a at the most common standard temperature of 25 °C are still lacking. In this study, experimentally based Kislip/w and/or Kislip/a values at 25 °C for 278 compounds were extensively collected or converted from the literature. Subsequently, PP-LFERs were calibrated for Kislip/w and Kislip/a at 25 °C, performing well over 10 orders of magnitude with root-mean-square errors of 0.17-0.21 log units for compounds with reliable descriptors. Furthermore, standard internal energy changes of transfer from water or air to storage lipids for 158 compounds were derived and used to calibrate PP-LFERs for estimating the temperature dependence of Kislip/w or Kislip/a. Additionally, using PP-LFERs, low-density polyethylene was confirmed to be a better storage lipid analogue than silicone and polyoxymethylene in the equilibrium passive sampling of nonpolar and H-bond acceptor polar compounds.

Effect of parasite infection and invasion history on feeding, growth, and energy allocation of cane toads

Abstract The energy allocation decisions that organisms make can differ between sexes and populations and can be influenced by factors such as age and parasite infection. We conducted experimental parasite infections on common-garden reared cane toads originating from sites across the species’ invasive range in Australia to assess how sex, parasite infection, and invasion history affected the toad’s food intake, growth rate, and organ weights. Female toads had larger fat stores, larger livers, and larger gonads than did males, reflecting increased investment into gametes. Growth rate did not differ between the sexes. Lungworm infection increased feeding by male but not female toads and increased fat storage in all toads. Fat body, liver, gonad sizes, and feeding rates all differed among toads from different locations within the toad’s invasion transect across Australia, even though our measurements were made under standardized conditions on captive animals. Toads from populations close to the invasion front ate more, had heavier fat bodies, and had larger livers than did toads from long-colonized areas, but they had smaller gonads. This pattern reflects the evolution of a more dispersive phenotype among invasive populations, whereby the rate of dispersal is enhanced by increased energy intake and storage, and delayed reproduction.

Assessing the Potential of Biochar as a Viable Alternative to Synthetic Fertilizers in Sub-Saharan Africa Smallholder Farming: A Review

The adverse effects of long-term usage of synthetic fertilizers such as eutrophication, weed infestation, opportunistic diseases, and declining yields have been established. However, the fact that soil fertility declines because of continuous cropping to meet the demand for feeding the ever-growing population, coupled with the high cost of chemical fertilizers, has left little option. This mainly affects resource-poor smallholder farmers, who heavily depend on their production for sustenance and economic well-being. Current research efforts have underscored the urgency of mitigating this trend by seeking a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to avert impending global food crises. Biochar has gained attention as a possible alternative to meet the soil requirements on many fronts, such as improving soil functioning and restoring degraded lands. Biochar is also known to reduce heavy metal mobility and inorganic contaminants, mitigating salinity and drought stress as well as greenhouse gas emissions associated with agriculture. However, these studies need to be harmonized to draft a more pragmatic approach to policy formulation and establish an enhanced paradigm. In this paper, we review several studies on biochar and synthesize its possible use as an alternative or supplement to synthetic fertilizers to enhance crop productivity under standard and stressful growing conditions. The ability of biochar to sequester carbon and its impact on soil properties are highlighted. We emphasize its potential for soil nutrient management and the possibility of adopting it as an alternative to synthetic fertilizer in smallholder farming. We also point out several critical research gaps that call for attention and serve as pointers for future research.

Study of Two-wheel Vehicle’s fuel consumption under the Influence of tire Inflation Pressure

The value of air pressure in the tire not only supports the entire weight of the vehicle, it also plays a crucial role in improving the vehicle’s performance, reducing friction, providing comfort, boosting economy and enhancing safety. This study deals with the influence of tire inflation pressure on fuel consumption at various road conditions and speeds. The experimental test was performed riding a motorcycle of 180cc and using a mileage measuring kit to find the effect of tire pressure on three different road surfaces i.e., highway, earthen and graveled. The standard tire pressure for both front and rear tires recommended by the manufacturing company was also evaluated to observe the change in mileage. The results showed that the highest mileage of 55.97 km/L was obtained on the highway among the defined three road conditions and a linear drop of 5psi in tire pressure led to loss of mileage up to 6.11% in highway, 5.35% in earthen and 2.80% in graveled road. Also, the variation in speed resulted to compensation of mileage by nearly 39.9% maximum. These results highlight the importance of keeping the correct value of tire inflation pressure in relation to fuel consumption.

Interleukin-1 mediated hyperinflammation in XIAP deficiency is associated with defective autophagy

AbstractDeficiency of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) is a rare genetic condition that can present with recurrent episodes of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), though the exact mechanisms leading to this hyperinflammatory disorder are unclear. Understanding its biology is critical to developing targeted therapies for this potentially fatal disease. Here, we report on a novel multiexonic intragenic duplication leading to XIAP deficiency with recurrent HLH that demonstrated complete response to interleukin (IL)-1β blockade. We further demonstrate using both primary patient cells and genetically modified THP-1 monocyte cell lines that, contrary to what has previously been shown in mouse cells, XIAP-deficient human macrophages do not produce excess IL-1β when stimulated under standard conditions. Instead, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain–like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome–mediated hyperproduction of IL-1β is observed only when the XIAP-deficient cells are stimulated under autophagy-promoting conditions and this correlates with defective autophagic flux as measured by decreased accumulation of the early autophagy marker LC3-II. This work, therefore, highlights IL-1β blockade as a therapeutic option for patients with XIAP deficiency experiencing recurrent HLH and identifies a critical role for XIAP in promoting autophagy as a means of limiting IL-1β–mediated hyperinflammation during periods of cellular stress.

A Novel Organic‐Inorganic Hybrid Material (BTTD)MnCl4 with Intelligent Switching Applications Derived from Unusual Wheels‐Like Motion

AbstractIn recent years, phase change materials (PCMs) have received extensive attention because of their applications in many fields, such as construction, semiconductor, energy and intelligent response switch. Organic‐inorganic hybrid materials (OIHMs) are wide applied in the preparation of PCMs due to their controllability of organic and inorganic components. In this study, we successfully synthesized an organic‐inorganic hybrid material (BTTD)MnCl4 (compound 1, BTTD=[(CH3)2NCH2Cl(CH2)3CH2ClN(CH3)2]. The purity of compound 1 was confirmed by PXRD. The crystal structure of compound 1 was analyzed at 300 K, 381 K and 400 K. The three different crystal structures prove the phase change of compound 1. According to the result of differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), the phase transition of compound 1 is reversible. Moreover, the measured bandgap (Eg) of 1 is 2.25 eV. The dielectric constant of compound 1 fluctuates near 370 K, indicating the changes of electrical properties, so compound 1 can be used to cut off circuit. This temperature is close to the boiling point of water under standard ambient conditions. Therefore, this work provides a new direction for the design of intelligent response switch for electric kettle.

Improving the Organization of Quasi-Professional Activities of Masters of Adaptive Physical Education as a Guarantee of Increasing Professional Competence

Introduction. The article discusses the problem: what are the effective forms and methods of work of developing professional competence among masters of the department of physical education in the field of training “Physical education for persons with health problems (adaptive physical education)” of the Sevastopol Institute of Economics and Humanities (branch) of the Crimean Federal University named after V. I. Vernadsky. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the importance of organizational and methodological improvement of the quasi-professional sector of the educational process. Methodology. Using scientific methods of pedagogical observation, questioning, studying the products of pedagogical activity and pedagogical documents, the authors substantiate the role of inclusive competence as an integral part of professional competence, as well as the possibility of its optimal improvement at the quasi-professional stage of the educational process using special pedagogical technologies and methods, including conducting sociocultural inclusive events. Results. It was revealed that masters of the Faculty of Physical Culture have, in general, sufficient and strong theoretical knowledge in the field of inclusion. At the same time, masters who carried out educational activities in traditional forms and in standard organizational and methodological conditions demonstrated unstable, weak skills in applied, practical activities related to inclusive competence. Conclusions. The main reserves for increasing the inclusive competence of master of physical education lie in the quasi-professional sector of the educational process, and the task of increasing the level of inclusive competence of master of physical education, and therefore increasing their overall professional level, can be solved by intensifying and optimizing educational and applied activities at the quasi-professional stage formation of inclusive competence.

Identification of a highly drought-resistant pp7l hda6 mutant.

Plants have developed efficient strategies to counteract drought stress, including stomata closure, significant changes in nuclear gene expression, and epigenetic mechanisms. Previously, we identified Arabidopsis thaliana PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE7-LIKE (PP7L) as an extrachloroplastic protein that promotes chloroplast development. In addition, it was shown that PP7L is involved in high light and salt tolerance. Here, we demonstrate that the pp7l mutant can withstand prolonged periods of drought stress. Interestingly, despite impaired growth under standard growth conditions, photosynthetic efficiency recovers in pp7l mutant plants experiencing drought conditions. To assess the (post)transcriptional changes occurring in the pp7l mutant under different durations of drought exposure, we used an RNA-sequencing technique that allows the simultaneous detection of organellar and nuclear transcripts. Compared with the previously reported drought-responsive changes in the wild type, the drought-responsive changes in organellar and nuclear transcripts detected in the pp7l mutant were negligible. Our analysis of the data generated in this study and review and analysis of previous literature motivated us to create a pp7l hda6 (histone deacetylase 6) mutant, which exhibits remarkable drought resistance. Notably, the growth penalty associated with pp7l was alleviated in the double mutant, ruling out a dwarf effect on the drought-tolerant trait of this genotype. Future studies may consider that multiple loci and factors are involved in stress resistance and explore combinations of these factors to create even more resilient plants.

Investigation of Sub-Bandgap Emission and Unexpected n-Type Behavior in Undoped Polycrystalline CdSexTe1-x.

Se alloying has enabled significantly higher carrier lifetimes and photocurrents in CdTe solar cells, but these benefits can be highly dependent on CdSexTe1-x processing. This work evaluates the optoelectronic, chemical, and electronic properties of thick (3µm) undoped CdSexTe1-x of uniform composition and varied processing conditions (CdSexTe1-x evaporation rate, CdCl2 anneal, Se content) chosen to reflect various standard device processing conditions. Sub-bandgap defect emission is observed, which increased as Se content increased and with "GrV-optimized CdCl2" (i.e., CdCl2 anneal conditions used for group-V-doped devices). Low carrier lifetime is found for GrV-optimized CdCl2, slow CdSexTe1-x deposition, and low-Se films. Interestingly, all films (including CdTe control) exhibited n-type behavior, where electron density increased with Se up to an estimated ≈1017cm-3. This behavior appears to originate during the CdCl2 anneal, possibly from Se diffusion leading to anion vacancy (e.g., VSe, VTe) and ClTe generation.

Effects of various long-term thermal aging levels on the morphology, rheology and self-healing performances of high-viscosity asphalt

Large macroporous structures of permeable asphalt pavement made high-viscosity asphalt (HVA) more susceptible to aging and failure. However, the standard pressure aging vessel (PAV) test was difficult to accurately emulate the long-term aging behavior of HVA. Hence, 1–5PAV aging levels of two HVAs (i.e. HVA-1 and HVA-2) were emulated by the simple aging test (SAT). Rheological analysis indicated that asphalt oxidation consistently dominated regardless of the long-term aging levels of HVAs. Combined with the fluorescence microscopy observation, HVA-2 with meticulous and uniform granular distribution was more resistant to aging than HVA-1 with coarse and continuously strip-like structures. Stress-strain curve analysis in linear amplitude sweep (LAS) test revealed that the accumulated strain energy (ASE) representing the overall mechanical properties of HVAs first increased and then decreased as the long-term aging level grew. The continuous repeated LAS (RLAS) test further reflected that the yield stress, yield strain and ASE of HVAs gradually decreased as the LAS loading number increased at initial long-term aging states; but as the sustained growth of aging level, the stress-strain curve of HVAs become increasingly chaotic until remarkable strain hardening occurred. Furthermore, RLAS-based self-healing (RLASSH) test was developed by introducing intermittent time into RLAS test. The variation of ratio of ASE decrease can characterize the self-healing performance of HVAs. RLASSH test showed that the self-healing performance of HVAs was unstable at 1–3PAV aging level, and the HVAs with 4 or 5PAV aging levels completely lost their self-healing performance. Overall, with the increase in long-term aging levels, significant differences were observed in the evolution characteristics of morphology, rheology and self-healing performances of different HVAs. This study helps to understand the rheology and self-healing performance evolution pattern of HVA during long-term service.

Complex Building’s Decision Support Method Based on Fuzzy Signatures

In the inner areas of large cities, many residential buildings built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries remain standing. The maintenance and renovation of these buildings have emerged as critical priorities over recent decades. E.g., in Budapest during the socialist era, the majority of these buildings were not renovated, and maintenance was largely neglected. In the subsequent 10–15 years following the end of socialism, financial resources for renovations were scarce due to the extensive transfer of properties from state to private ownership. It is only in the last decade or so that renovations have begun to be systematically addressed. Consequently, a significant portion of the building stock is still pending renovation. Given the current economic conditions, sustainable maintenance and necessary conversion are of paramount importance. Unfortunately, few standardized condition assessment methods are implemented in industrial practice, and the literature on this topic is limited. To address these challenges, we have developed an algorithm and model for condition assessment and decision support, which we refer to as the Complex Building’s Decision Support System based on Fuzzy Signatures (CBDF system). Our model employs a fuzzy signature-based approach to account for uncertainties, errors, and potentially missing data that may arise during the assessment process. The primary aim of this model is to equip professionals involved in building condition assessment with a tool that enables them to make consistent and objective decisions while minimizing errors. This paper provides a brief overview of the CBDF system and presents test results from the assessment of a selected structural component of a building, demonstrating the system’s functionality.

Mechanisms of electrically assisted deformation of an Al–Mg alloy (AA5083-H111): Portevin–Le Chatelier phenotype transformation, suppression, and prolonged necking

Aluminum-magnesium wrought alloys are well known for their advantageous properties and their application in various industries. However, the occurrence of the Portevin–Le Chatelier (PLC) effect leads to the formation of bands on the surface, thereby restricting the application of parts from Al–Mg alloys, primarily due to aesthetic concerns. Applying electrical pulses during deformation may not only improve the mechanical properties, moreover, it also affects the PLC effect. In this work, the properties of AA5083-H111 were investigated using standardized and electrically assisted tensile tests. Tensile behavior was assessed at room temperature, 250 °C, cryogenic conditions, and at two distinct electrically assisted conditions. We found that electrically assisted tensile testing leads to increased fracture strain compared to standard room temperature and cryogenic conditions. Furthermore, there was a transformation in PLC phenotypes, which included a partial suppression of the PLC effect. A spatio-temporal analysis of strain rate and strain highlights considerable differences in the occurrence of PLC bands and prolonged necking compared to standard room temperature testing. Furthermore, a modified dislocation pattern was observed using transmission electron microscopy.

Disinfectant efficacy of glabridin against dried and biofilm cells of Listeria monocytogenes and the impact of residual organic matter

Glabridin is an antimicrobial compound which can be extracted from plants, such as liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) roots. Although its activity against food-borne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms has already been reported, the investigation of potential applications as a surface disinfectant is still largely unexplored. Hence, this study evaluated the disinfectant efficacy of glabridin against Listeria monocytogenes. The activity of glabridin was first tested in vitro in a nutrient-rich medium against eight strains of L. monocytogenes, including food isolates and the model strain EGDe. The tested strains showed similar susceptibility with minimal inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations of 12.5 µg/mL and 25 µg/mL, respectively. Subsequently, L. monocytogenes L6, FBR17 and EGDe were selected to assess the efficacy of glabridin against dried cells (according to the European standard EN 13697:2015 + A1:2019) and biofilm cells on stainless steel surfaces. Moreover, the impact of food residual organic matter was investigated using skim milk, cantaloupe and smoked salmon solution as soiling components. Our results showed that applying 200 µg/mL of glabridin resulted in a substantial reduction (>3 log10) of dried and biofilm cells of L. monocytogenes in standard conditions (i.e. low level of residual organic matter). Cantaloupe soiling components slightly reduced the activity of glabridin, while the efficacy of glabridin when tested with salmon and skim milk residuals was substantially affected. Comparative analysis using standardized protein contents provided evidence that the type of food matrices and type of proteins may impact the activity of glabridin as a disinfectant. Overall, this study showed low strain variability for the activity of glabridin against L. monocytogenes and shed light on the possible application of this natural antimicrobial compound as a surface disinfectant.

A Naïve Bayes Regularized Logistic Regression Estimator for Low-dimensional Classification

To reduce the estimator's variance and prevent overfitting, regularization techniques have attracted great interest from the statistics and machine learning communities. Most existing regularized methods rely on the sparsity assumption that a model with fewer parameters predicts better than one with many parameters. This assumption works particularly well in high-dimensional problems. However, the sparsity assumption may not be necessary when the number of predictors is relatively small compared to the number of training instances. This paper argues that shrinking the coefficients towards a low-variance data-driven estimate could be a better regularization strategy for such situations. For low-dimensional classification problems, we propose a naïve Bayes regularized logistic regression (NBRLR) that shrinks the logistic regression coefficients toward the naïve Bayes estimate to provide a reduction in variance. Our approach is primarily motivated by the fact that naïve Bayes is functionally equivalent to logistic regression if naïve Bayes' conditional independence assumption holds. Under standard conditions, we prove the consistency of the NBRLR estimator. Extensive simulation and empirical experimental results show that NBRLR is a competitive alternative to various state-of-the-art classifiers, especially on low-dimensional datasets.

Feasibility and accuracy of at-home glucose tolerance tests for cystic fibrosis related diabetes screening

BackgroundAdult people living with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) undergo annual screening for CF-related diabetes. These tests represent a burden and can lead to undesirable effects resulting in low adherence. The objectives of this study were to 1) compare gold-standard in-hospital oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT) with at-home options, and 2) evaluate acceptability of at-home options. MethodsA total of 34 adults living with CF undertook 3 types of OGTTs in standardized conditions within two weeks: 1) in a hospital using a 75 g glucose beverage, 2) at home with the same glucose beverage, and 3) at home using a standardized quantity of candy. Glucose levels were measured prior to the OGTT, after 1 and 2 hours. Concordance of glucose measurement, side effects and general appreciation were assessed across the three options. ResultsMean blood glucose was comparable among the three tests. Glucose tolerance categorization (normal, impaired glucose tolerance, or diabetes) was concordant with the hospital reference test in 59 % of participants for the glucose beverage and 75 % for the candies. Side effects were mild with all types of OGTTs, and 94 % of participants preferred the home options. Among the at-home OGTTs, the glucose beverage was preferred to the candy option. ConclusionsHome-based OGTT could be an alternative to gold standard hospital-based OGTT testing, improving adherence to annual testing and reducing costs. However, the discrepancy between various OGTT testing methods could lead to diagnosis dilemma. This approach should be tested on a larger sample size.